Christianity: A History

Kwame Kwei-Armah was Writer in Residence at the Bristol Old Vic from 1999 to 2001. While there, he wrote three plays: A Bitter Herb (which won the Peggy Ramsey award), Blues Brother Soul Sister, and Big Nose. He is currently Writer in Residence for BBC Radio drama, and Associate Artist at the National Theatre of Great Britain, Centerstage Baltimore and Congo Square theatre company Chicago USA.

All the world's a stage
His triptych of plays set in the African Caribbean community - Elmina's Kitchen, Fix Up and Statement of Regret - premiered at the National Theatre between 2003 and 2007, and Elmina's Kitchen transferred to Baltimore, Chicago and London's West End (a first for an African Caribbean playwright).

Kwame Kwei-Armah has won many awards, including the Evening Standard Charles Wintour Award for most promising playwright, Screen Nation Award for favourite TV actor, 100 Black Men of Britain Public Figure Award, GPA Man of the Year and RECON Community Leadership Award 2007. He has been nominated for a Lawrence Oliver Award and a BAFTA, and received an Honorary Doctorate from The Open University in 2008.

He made his debut as a director in 2007 at Baltimore's Centerstage, with Things of Dry Hours by Naomi Wallace, then went on to direct Esa Davis's 10-minute play, Dave Chappelle Was Right, for the 24-hour plays on Broadway. He has recently directed his own play, Let There Be Love, at the Tricycle Theatre in London. As an actor, Kwame played Finley Newton in BBC1's Casualty from 1999 to 2004, and has recently been seen in the TV series Hotel Babylon, ITV's LEWIS and the film Fade to Black.

Comment and support
Kwame Kwei-Armah has presented Newsnight Review and the Culture Show, has been a panellist on Question Time and Newsnight Review, and is often heard on BBC Radio 4. He was a regular columnist for The Guardian (2005-06) and has written articles for The Independent, The Telegraph, The Evening Standard, the New Statesmen and The Observer.

He is Christian Aid's goodwill ambassador for trade, and is a governor at London's University of the Arts as well as being a trustee of The Roundhouse, The National Theatre, the Tricycle Theatre and LEAP, a local employment charity focusing on getting the long-term unemployed back into employment.